System and method for bending tubing

ABSTRACT

A handheld tube bender with bending disc die that includes a die level and a rotating handle level that allows the user to make accurate, level bends in many planes. The die level and angle markings can be viewed from either the front or the back side of the tube bender to allow operation when the site of the tube to be bent and the angle required for the bend only allows the user to view the back side of the tube bender. The handheld tube bender may be limited to being able to bend a specific diameter of tube or may be adjustable to bend tube of many different diameters.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a hand operated tube bender. More specifically this invention relates to a hand operated precision degree tube bender.

Description of Related Art

High precision tubing and all purity stainless steel tubing is used in aerospace, pharmaceutical, semiconductor, food processing, refineries, instrumentation, and other applications requiring corrosion resistance, narrow tolerances, low processing costs or weight savings. This tubing will frequently have an electropolished finish affixed that must be bent with care and precision. Tubing may need to be bent on a benchtop or while it is in place to precisely conform to the space in which the tubing is to run or to avoid specific obstacles that can arise on a job site. This leads to some situations where the tube bender may need to be used in confined spaces or be held at odd angles while making the bend.

When tubing is to be bent in three dimensions, it is important that the bend of the tubing be in the correct plane. Torpedo level, spirit level, and bubble dial bending levels exist that allow electricians, plumbers and other tube benders to ensure that tubing is bent to the correct angle. Tubing is frequently bent at 15-, 22.5-, 30-, 45-, 60-and 90-degree angles and tube bending levels attach to the tube and allow the user to view whether the tube has been bent to the correct angle relative to the ground. Such levels do not, however, allow the user to ensure that the tube bender itself is in a level plane while making the bend. Large mechanical tube benders are mounted to ensure that tube bending occurs in the correct plane, but the tubing to be bent must be brought to them and they cannot be used in many situations. Other tube benders require that the tube be bent only on a flat surface to ensure that the bend is in the correct plane. Tubing bent on a work bench or other impromptu surface will require the tube bender to use a level on one or more surfaces to try to ensure that the tubing is bent correctly. There remains a need for a more portable, hand-operated tube bending tool that can ensure that the tubing is bent to the correct angle in the correct plane.

To reduce the complexity and length of the Detailed Specification, and to fully establish the state of the art in certain areas of technology, Applicant(s) herein expressly incorporate(s) by reference all of the following materials identified in each numbered paragraph below. The incorporated materials are not necessarily “prior art” and Applicant(s) expressly reserve(s) the right to swear behind any of the incorporated materials.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,144,835 to Joseph J. Houle and David Wortelboer, issued Sep. 29, 2015.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,912,886 to Roger V. Maes, issued Jul. 5, 2005.

Applicant(s) believe(s) that the material incorporated above is “non-essential” in accordance with 37 CFR 1.57, because it is referred to for purposes of indicating the background of the invention or illustrating the state of the art. However, if the Examiner believes that any of the above-incorporated material constitutes “essential material” within the meaning of 37 CFR 1.57(c)(1)-(3), applicant(s) will amend the specification to expressly recite the essential material that is incorporated by reference as allowed by the applicable rules.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides among other things a handheld portable tube bender.

It is an object of the invention to provide a handheld tube bender that can be used in a wider variety of positions to bend tube.

It is another object of the invention to provide a handheld tube bender than can make level bends on any plane.

It is another object of the invention to provide a handheld tube bender that allows a user to make accurate tube bends when the user can only view the back side of the tube bender.

It is another object of the invention to provide a handheld tube bender that may be held level when the user can only view the back side of the tube bender.

It is another object of the invention to provide a more versatile handheld tube bender.

Is it another object of the invention to provide a tube bender that can be operated without the use of additional tools at a specific degree or angle.

It is another object of the invention to provide takeoff aid of layout time on tubing.

The above and other objects may be achieved using devices involving a tube bender with a handle that is connected to a bending disc that has a front surface on a front side, a back surface on a back side, and a periphery. The periphery of the tube bender has a groove in it to accommodate the tube to be bent and a holding arm can rotate above the groove to hold the tube in place to be bent. A rotation arm connects the bending disc to a bending arm that accommodates the tube and rotates about the periphery of the bending disc. A marking on the front surface of the bending disc informs the user of the angle of bend in the tube. Another marking on the back surface of the bending disc informs a user viewing the back surface of the bending disc of the angle of bend in the tube.

The marking on the back surface of the bending disc is visible either through a through hole in the rotation arm or by aligning with an edge of the rotation arm. A level is coupled to the bending disc such that the level may be viewed from the front side or the back side of the bending disc.

The handle may be rotatable in the plane of the bending disc and may be coupled to the bending disc through a connecting body having a plurality of faces, some of which may be approximately perpendicular to the front surface of the bending disc. Useful information may be displayed to the user on the faces, including a rotatable level or a table of set back and advance distances for varying angles of bend for that radius of bend. The table may be on a face opposing the face on which the rotatable level is accommodated.

The handle or the bending arm of the tube bender may be extendable to increase leverage that may be applied to bend the tube. The bending arm may be adjusted to be parallel to the handle or perpendicular to the handle to bend tube from different positions relative to the tube bender. If tubes of varying diameters are able to be bent by the tube bender, the distance between the rotation arm and the groove may be adjusted to accommodate tubes of varying diameters. Additionally, or alternatively, the groove may be removable and replaceable with a groove having a different radius that can accommodate tube having a different diameter. These replaceable grooves may snap into place in a channel in the bending disc or may be inserted and attached into place with, for example, a screw.

The above and other objects may be achieved using methods involving assembling a tube bender by providing a bending disc with a center hole, a level through hole, a holding arm cavity, and a periphery with a channel extending along at least a portion of the periphery and providing a rotating arm. One end of the rotating arm is coupled to the rotating disc at the center hole the other end of the rotating arm is coupled to a bending arm so that the bending arm can rotate about the periphery of the bending disc. A holding arm is coupled to the holding arm cavity via a hinge that allows the holding arm to be rotated away from the periphery of the bending disc to allow a tube to be placed in the channel and then rotated back to hold the tube in place for bending. A handle is coupled to a surface of the holding disc.

A level is placed into the level through hole and coupled there such that the level is visible from either side of the bending disc and the front and back surface of the bending disc are marked with bend angle indicators so that a user can use the tube bender while viewing the bending disc from either side. The rotating arm may have an indicator through hole allowing a user to see the marking on the bending disc through the rotating arm.

The handle may be coupled to the bending disc via a connecting body with at least one flat face that is approximately perpendicular to the plane of the bending disc, to be visible to a suer. Information relevant to a user may be printed on the face or a rotatable level may be mounted on the face. The connecting body may have multiple faces and information relevant to a user may be printed on one face and a rotatable level may be mounted on another face.

The channel of the bending disc may be a groove shaped to accommodate a tube of a particular diameter. Or a groove shaped to accommodate a tube of a particular diameter may be coupled into the channel. An extension may be coupled to the bending arm via a hinge such that the extension is adjustable to be approximately parallel to the handle or approximately perpendicular to the handle.

Aspects and applications of the invention presented here are described below in the drawings and detailed description of the invention. Unless specifically noted, it is intended that the words and phrases in the specification and the claims be given their plain, ordinary, and accustomed meaning to those of ordinary skill in the applicable arts. The inventors are fully aware that they can be their own lexicographers if desired. The inventors expressly elect, as their own lexicographers, to use only the plain and ordinary meaning of terms in the specification and claims unless they clearly state otherwise and then further, expressly set forth the “special” definition of that term and explain how it differs from the plain and ordinary meaning. Absent such clear statements of intent to apply a “special” definition, it is the inventors’ intent and desire that the simple, plain and ordinary meaning to the terms be applied to the interpretation of the specification and claims.

The inventors are also aware of the normal precepts of English grammar. Thus, if a noun, term, or phrase is intended to be further characterized, specified, or narrowed in some way, then such noun, term, or phrase will expressly include additional adjectives, descriptive terms, or other modifiers in accordance with the normal precepts of English grammar. Absent the use of such adjectives, descriptive terms, or modifiers, it is the intent that such nouns, terms, or phrases be given their plain, and ordinary English meaning to those skilled in the applicable arts as set forth above.

Further, the inventors are fully informed of the standards and application of the special provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f). Thus, the use of the words “function,” “means” or “step” in the Detailed Description or Description of the Drawings or claims is not intended to somehow indicate a desire to invoke the special provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f), to define the invention. To the contrary, if the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f) are sought to be invoked to define the inventions, the claims will specifically and expressly state the exact phrases “means for” or “step for, and will also recite the word “function” (i.e., will state “means for performing the function of [insert function]”), without also reciting in such phrases any structure, material or act in support of the function. Thus, even when the claims recite a “means for performing the function of . . . ” or “step for performing the function of . . .,” if the claims also recite any structure, material or acts in support of that means or step, or that perform the recited function, then it is the clear intention of the inventors not to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f). Moreover, even if the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f) are invoked to define the claimed inventions, it is intended that the inventions not be limited only to the specific structure, material or acts that are described in the preferred embodiments, but in addition, include any and all structures, materials or acts that perform the claimed function as described in alternative embodiments or forms of the invention, or that are well known present or later-developed, equivalent structures, material or acts for performing the claimed function.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present invention may be derived by referring to the detailed description when considered in connection with the following illustrative figures. In the figures, like reference numbers refer to like elements or acts throughout the figures.

FIG. 1 depicts a front view of one embodiment of a tube bender that is the subject of the invention.

FIG. 2 depicts a lower perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a left side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 4 depicts a back view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 .

Elements and acts in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and have not necessarily been rendered according to any particular sequence or embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, and for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the various aspects of the invention. It will be understood, however, by those skilled in the relevant arts, that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, known structures and devices are shown or discussed more generally to avoid obscuring the invention. In many cases, a description of the operation is sufficient to enable one to implement the various forms of the invention, particularly when the operation is to be implemented in software. It should be noted that there are many different and alternative configurations, devices, and technologies to which the disclosed inventions may be applied. The full scope of the inventions is not limited to the examples that are described below.

In one application of the invention, a tube bender 10 has a handle 12 connected to a bending disc 14. The bending disc 14 can have a groove 16 along at least a portion of the periphery of the bending disc 14 that can accommodate a tube to be bent. A hold arm 18 can be rotated perpendicularly to the plane of the bending disc 14 to hold the tube to be bent against the bending disc 14 in the groove 16. A bending arm 20 is coupled to the bending disc via a rotation arm 22 that allows the bending arm 20 to rotate about the periphery of the bending disc 14.

The handle 12 may be integral to the bending disc 14 or may be secured to the bending disc 14 by, for example, a weld, a plurality of bolts, a coupling body 40, or any other means known to those having skill in the art. The coupling body 40 may have a plurality of exterior surfaces 42, a plurality of which are essentially perpendicular to the plane of the bending disc 14. One or more of the perpendicular surfaces 42 may display information that is useful to a user. For example, one of the perpendicular surfaces 42 may display a table 44 showing the setback and advance for various bend angles. Another perpendicular surface 42 may have a rotatable level 46.

The bending disc 14 has a front face 34 and a back face 36 and may have one or more disc levels 26 coupled to the bending disc 14. The disc level 26 can be bubble level or a digital level. The disc level 26 may be coupled to the front face 34 or back face 36 of the disc 14 to indicate when the plane of the bending disc 14 is parallel to the ground, or when the bending disc is perpendicular to the ground. A level 26 may be rotatably coupled to the disc 14 to determine when the plane of the disc 14 is at a particular angle to the ground. In a particular embodiment, the level is embedded in the body 28 of the disc 14 so that the level can be seen through the front face 34 or the back face 36 from either side of the disc 14. The front face 34 and back face 36 of the disc 14 may be marked with one or more bend indicators 32 that allow the user to determine when the tube is bent to a particular angle. The disc 14 may have an adjustable stop (not shown) that prevents the bending arm 20 from rotating past a desired angle. The groove 16 may be configured to accommodate a tube of a particular size or may accommodate multiple sizes of tube. In other embodiments the groove 16 can be removable and replaced to accommodate multiple sizes of tube.

The bending arm 20 may be coupled to the disc 14 via a hinge 38 to allow the bending arm 20 to rotate in the plane of the disc 14. The bending arm 20 may have one or more bearings 24 configured to contact the tube to be bent and allow the bending arm 20 to move along the tube while pressure is being exerted by the bending arm 20 to bend the tube. The bending arm 20 can extend ten to thirty-six inches or more to provide leverage to bend the tube. The length of the bending arm 20 may be adjusted to provide sufficient leverage to bend the tube while being as short as possible to fit into the space in which the tube is to be bent. In a particular embodiment, the length of the bending arm 20 may be adjustable through, for example, telescoping.

The rotation arm 22 is typically coupled to the back face 36 of the bending disc 14 and configured to couple the bending arm 20 a distance from the bending disc 14 approximately equal to the diameter of the tube to be bent. The rotation arm may have an adjustable length to allow for tubes having different diameters. The rotation arm 22 may have a through hole 30 that allows the user to see a portion of the disc 14 through the rotation arm 22 allowing a user to see through the rotation arm 22 to bend indicators 32 on the disc 14.

A method of assembling a tube bender, the method comprising the acts of providing a bending disc having a front surface, a back surface, a center hole, a level through hole, a holding arm cavity, and a periphery with a channel extending along at least a portion of the periphery. The tube bender can have a rotating arm. The first end can be coupled to the rotating arm to the rotating disc at the center hole and a second end of the rotating arm to a bending arm. Coupling a holding arm to the holding arm cavity via a hinge. Coupling a level into the level through hole such that the level is visible from either side of the bending disc.

Marking the front surface and the back surface of the bending disc that informs a user of the angle of bend in the tube when the bending arm is in a bend position relative to the bend disc. Coupling a handle to the bending disc. The rotating arm comprises an indicator through hole. The handle is coupled to the bending disc via a connecting body comprising a first face that is approximately perpendicular to the plane of the bending disc, the method further comprising printing information relevant to a user on the first face or mounting a rotatable level to the first face. The bending arm has an extension that is coupled to the bending arm via a hinge such that the extension is adjustable to be approximately parallel to the handle or approximately perpendicular to the handle. The channel is a groove shaped to accommodate a tube of a particular diameter. Coupling a groove shaped to accommodate a tube of a particular diameter into the channel.

In closing, it is to be understood that although aspects of the present specification are highlighted by referring to specific embodiments, one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that these disclosed embodiments are only illustrative of the principles of the subject matter disclosed herein. Therefore, it should be understood that the disclosed subject matter is in no way limited to a particular methodology, protocol, and/or reagent, etc., described herein. As such, various modifications or changes to or alternative configurations of the disclosed subject matter can be made in accordance with the teachings herein without departing from the spirit of the present specification. Lastly, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, which is defined solely by the claims. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to those precisely as shown and described.

Certain embodiments are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the methods and devices described herein. Of course, variations on these described embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. Accordingly, this disclosure includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described embodiments in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the disclosure unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. 

We claim:
 1. A tube bender for bending a tube, the tube bender comprising: a handle coupled via a coupling body having a plurality of faces to a bending disc comprising a front surface on a front side, a back surface on a back side, and a periphery; a groove in the periphery to accommodate the tube; a holding arm to hold the tube in the groove on a tangent of the bending disc; a level coupled to the bending disc such that the level indicates whether a line between the tangent and a point directly opposite to the tangent on the bending disc its opposite side is parallel to the ground and such that the level may be viewed from the front side and the back side of the bending disc; a bending arm coupled to the bending disc via a rotation arm such that the bending arm may be rotated about the periphery of the bending disc; a marking on the front surface of the bending disc that informs the user viewing the front surface of the bending disc of the angle of bend in the tube when the location of the bending arm is in a bend position relative to the bend disc; and a marking on the back surface of the bending disc that informs the user viewing the back surface of the bending disc of the angle of bend in the tube when the location of the bending arm is in the bend position relative to the bend disc.
 2. The tube bender of claim 1 wherein the marking on the back surface of the bending disc is visible through a through hole in the rotation arm.
 3. The tube bender of claim 1 wherein the rotation arm has an edge and wherein the marking on the back surface of the bending disc is indicated by the position of the edge relative to the bending disc.
 4. The tube bender of claim 1 wherein the plurality of faces comprises a first face that is approximately perpendicular to the front surface of the bending disc wherein the first face comprises at least one of a rotatable level and information relevant to a user.
 5. The tube bender of claim 4 wherein the bend disc is configured to accommodate a specific size of tube and wherein the information is a table of set back and advance distances for varying angles of bend for that size of tube.
 6. The tube bender of claim 4 wherein the plurality of faces further comprises a second face opposite to the first face, and wherein the first face comprises a rotatable level and the second face comprises information relevant to the user.
 7. The tube bender of claim 1 wherein the holding arm rotates about a pivot point in a plane that is essentially perpendicular to the plane of the bending disc.
 8. The tube bender of claim 1 wherein the bending arm is extendable.
 9. The tube bender of claim 1 wherein the rotation arm is sized to place the bending arm to allow a tube having a diameter between the groove and the bending arm and wherein the rotation arm is adjustable to accommodate tubes of varying diameters.
 10. The tube bender of claim 1 wherein the bending arm may be adjusted to be parallel to the handle or perpendicular to the handle.
 11. The tube bender of claim 1 wherein the handle may be rotated in the plane of the bending disc relative to the bending disc.
 12. The tube bender of claim 1 wherein the groove is a first groove configured to accommodate tube having a first diameter and wherein the first groove is removable and replaceable with a second groove that can accommodate tube having a second diameter that is different from the first diameter.
 13. The tube bender of claim 12 wherein the groove may be snapped into place in the bending disc.
 14. A method of assembling a tube bender, the method comprising the acts of: providing a bending disc having a front surface, a back surface, a center hole, a level through hole, a holding arm cavity, and a periphery with a channel extending along at least a portion of the periphery; providing a rotating arm; coupling a first end of the rotating arm to the rotating disc at the center hole and a second end of the rotating arm to a bending arm; coupling a holding arm to the holding arm cavity via a hinge; coupling a level into the level through hole such that the level is visible from either side of the bending disc; marking the front surface and the back surface of the bending disc that informs a user of the angle of bend in the tube when the bending arm is in a bend position relative to the bend disc; coupling a handle to the bending disc.
 15. The method of claim 14 wherein the rotating arm comprises an indicator through hole.
 16. The method of claim 14 wherein the handle is coupled to the bending disc via a connecting body comprising a first face that is approximately perpendicular to the plane of the bending disc, the method further comprising printing information relevant to a user on the first face or mounting a rotatable level to the first face.
 17. The method of claim 14 wherein the bending arm has an extension that is coupled to the bending arm via a hinge such that the extension is adjustable to be approximately parallel to the handle or approximately perpendicular to the handle.
 18. The method of claim 14 wherein the channel is a groove shaped to accommodate a tube of a particular diameter.
 19. The method of claim 14 further comprising coupling a groove shaped to accommodate a tube of a particular diameter into the channel. 